Anything Can Happen Here
by Tinks8995
Summary: Fluffy reunion fic, approximately three years post NFA. BA
1. Part 1

Anything Can Happen Here 

By: Tinks8995

Summary: Fluffy (Geez, I'm only writing fluffy. I'm not a fluffy person. Need help. Must find angst soon.) little reunion fic.  
Timeline: Three years post "Not Fade Away"  
Disclaimer: All products belong to their respective owners. None of which are me. I just wanted to play in their sandboxes awhile. There are some quotes from different episodes. I don't know the exact ones, since they kept popping into my head as I was writing.  
A/N: This is a product of seeing the episode "Surprise," an episode of the Real World, a movie & a weekend trip to Vegas. I've been working on it forever and I'm still not happy with the ending. I'll be posting it in three parts while I tweak it. Not a writer, engineer. And for the record - astronauts would so kick caveman butt.

* * *

Faith jumped up on to the counter and started playing with a pen display. "Come on B. It's Saturday night. No one is gonna need photocopying at this hour! Just close a little early and let's bail." Faith whined.

"I promised Giles I'd be the responsible one around here." Buffy said patiently. "The store is supposed to be open until 9. That's only twenty more minutes." She grabbed a broom from behind her and held it out. "Besides, if I had a little help, we might get out of here on time."

Faith jumped back down, took the broom and halfheartedly started pushing it around. "What's the deal with you anyway? I thought you liked living in Italy. Aren't you the one that said the food was good, the shopping great and the guys hot?"

"Yeah well, Italy was really Dawn's idea. I spent almost 3 years there and all I can really say is hello, where is the bathroom and my dress is red. Without Dawn around to interpret, it was getting tough. Besides I missed home, Taco Bell, Neiman Marcus, Must See TV in English, you know all the good stuff." Buffy said reflectively. "Besides, with Dawn gone to college and the slayers all being taken care of by the new Council, I decided to start life over." Buffy stepped in front of the cash register and started counting the money in the till. "You are now talking to the new and improved Buffy Summers, quasi-normal, slightly older than average, college student slash office supply store manager, who slays vampires and demons as a side gig."

Faith leaned over the counter and pulled out an Introduction to Marketing Techniques textbook., "So this explains the big thick books you've got under the counter." she said, shoving it back in place.

"It's just basic stuff." Buffy said. "With a little help from the amazing techno-pagan wiz, Willow, we embellished my transcript a little and voila here I am, UNLV sophomore."

Faith picked up the broom and set it back behind the counter. She jumped back up on top of it and watched Buffy count out the register. "You're a regular Miss Mary Sunshine. Geez, we really need to go out and loosen up. Get you in touch with your dark side."

Buffy looked up from her wad of bills. "Mmmm, no thanks. Been there, done that. Not going back. " she said, referring to her behavior the years following her resurrection.

Faith snatched the keys from the open cash register and sauntered over to the front door. She flipped the open sign off and locked the door. "You moved to a place nicknamed Sin City. You are 26, not exactly an old lady, and most importantly, single. Let's go totally wild tonight." Faith implored. "There's a big bright city out there waiting for two more bad girls." Faith gave Buffy a wink.

Buffy sighed. "You win." She easily relented, even responsible girls needed fun time occasionally. "Let me finish counting this out and we'll take off."

Faith gave her a grin that reminded Buffy suspiciously of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. "Just leave yourself in my good hands. But first we gotta get changed. You are not going out with me in that." Faith said, gesturing to Buffy's outfit.

"What's wrong with jeans and a t-shirt?" Buffy looked down at her working garb and grimaced. Her shirt was rumpled and streaked with dust from stocking shelves. "You make a good point . We'll stop at home and change first."

Buffy finished counting the day's receipts and dropped the money into the office safe. She and Faith went out the door, locking up behind them. They walked to the parking lot and got into Buffy's car.

"Man, I wish Giles would do all this for me." Faith remarked upon seeing Buffy's new Jeep.

"Actually I have to pay for the car out of my own salary." Buffy told her. She unlocked the doors and Faith got in. "You know…you could come stay here and help me. I could use it."

Faith laughed and started fiddling with the radio. "I don't know anything about office supplies, much less that magic crap you have in the back."

Buffy smiled as she pulled the car out into traffic. "The girls that work for me, Nicole and Haley, don't know anything either, you just need to know how to work the cash register. Think about it. You can stay in my extra room til you find a place. And to quote Giles 'Serve the underrepresented human population of Las Vegas' by doing a little slaying on the side. It's no Hellmouth, but the lights seem to attract demons like a bug zapper."

They pulled in front of Buffy's townhouse and hopped out. Buffy opened the front door and led Faith into the living room. "It's not large, but there are two bedrooms upstairs. You can stay in the empty one while you are here."

Faith hauled her bag up the stairs, while Buffy listened to her messages. She found the guest room with little trouble and plopped her bag down on the bed. Buffy came up the stairs and stood watching her in the doorway. "I'm just gonna touch myself up a little. It was a long flight from Ohio." Faith told her.

"Go right ahead. There's a little powder room downstairs, but the shower is in the bathroom up here. I'm gonna go look in the back of my closet for something that might still fit." Buffy wandered off to her room across the hall and shut the door.

Faith pulled out her toiletries. She quickly unpacked her bag and set her clothes for tonight aside. She set off for the bathroom to take a quick shower.

* * *

Buffy sank down on her bed, letting memories capture her thoughts. It had taken her a long time to forgive her family and friends. Their bonds almost completely severed one dark night almost four and a half years ago. The trust they stripped from her, shattered what little was left of her soul and she didn't talk to any of them for over a year. She couldn't even bear to be around Dawn, whom she unsuccessfully tried to dump on Hank. Even today, there is a small taste of bitterness, when she thinks about how she was summarily kicked out of her own home and life.

They've slowly mended fences. They are weak and rickety and would never last through another storm. Perhaps, that's why they only see each other once or twice a year. When they do get together, it is awkward and strange, the familiarity is gone. Buffy sometimes wished they could go back to easier times, lounging around her room, watching subtitled Indian movies, snacking and gossiping about their love lives.

Oddly, Faith is the only one that doesn't tiptoe around her and she is grateful for it. Somehow they managed to work past their history and can exist comfortably around each other. Who knows, maybe it's because they've already tried to kill each other. Or maybe it's because Faith was the one that flew halfway across the planet to kick her ass back into shape.

For eleven months after Sunnydale was sucked into the ground, Buffy lived her life on the edge. Desperate to forget her old life, there wasn't anything she wouldn't try. She finally had hooked up with a guy, The Immortal, everyone called him. It was dangerous and exciting. She knew he was using her, but she really didn't care, she just wanted to be wild and free.

One afternoon in late May, Faith showed up on her doorstep. She read Buffy the riot act on heraffinity for soulless fiends and her recent behavior. She told her about Spike's resurrection, Cordelia's death, Andrew's speaking for her on numerous occasions, Angel's problems at Wolfram and Hart and about his new girlfriend. She informed her that Angel had been here only weeks ago and had seen her with her new play toy. She chastised Buffy for ignoring Angel's obvious pleas for help and reminded her of the numerous times he had come to her aid.

Buffy let Faith say her piece, called her a few choice names and threw her out into the strada and slammed the door in her face. For the next ten days, she partied even harder. Her epiphany came in the back of a smoky club, while performing a lap dance on the Immortal.

As the DJ slowed it down, Buffy started to grind herself against her date. When she recognized the haunting melody of a song from a time long forgotten, she froze. Memories flashed through her head, remembering how much she had hurt the ones she loved. She knew then it was time to spank her inner moppet, again, and get her life back together. She had been focusing so much on the bad things in her life, letting it rule her actions, that she was missing out on the good stuff. She sighed, remembering something she once said, living truly was the hardest thing to do in this world.

With that last thought, she climbed off the Immortal's lap. She grabbed her coat and walked out of the club without looking back.

By the time she got her act together, Wes was dead and Angel and Spike missing and presumed dead.

Buffy sniffled at the thought of all she had lost. She decided that Faith was right. After years of nothing but murder, mayhem, hard work, sorrow and heartbreak, it was time for her to stop mourning and join the living again. She dug deep into the back of her closet where she kept her clothes from another lifetime.  
$$$$$


	2. Part 2

Anything Can Happen Here - Part Two 

Disclaimers - See page one

* * *

The two women met in the foyer having spent the last thirty minutes dressing up for their night on the town. "Fabulous." Faith whistled admiringly at Buffy's low slung jeans complete with tiny chain belt embedded with amethyst and a lavender blouse, that showed off a lot of cleavage. "Is this silk? It's slick and hot ," Faith said, covetously fingering the lapel. "Bet it cost a bundle." 

"Christmas present from Dawn." Slightly uncomfortable with Faith's familiarity, Buffy turned away to examine her reflection in the entryway mirror. Frowning at herself, she added, "She thinks I should start looking for a man to fit into my shiny new life. Apparently, she also thinks I should use my breasts to do it."

Faith bit her tongue to cover up her laughter, "You know what they say...what happens in Vegas..."

Buffy broke in, "Stays in Vegas, I've heard it a million times. I live here, I stay it stays. No escaping it. Though, if say the guy happened to be from Alaska, then maybe I'd be ok, he could take it back to the Yukon with him..."

Lost in Buffy's logic, Faith interrupted her ramble. "Stake?" she inquired, wanting to know if she really needed to bring one.

Buffy pulled up her jeans to show a slim stake shoved into her boot. "Never leave home without it. There's a demon mafia, we leave each other alone mostly. But, there are more than enough rogue ones around that like to cause a little trouble." Buffy informed her. "How are you gonna dance in that leather?" she said, finally noticing Faith's outfit.

Faith twirled around showing off her new outfit of skintight, black leather pants, matching boots and a red cropped shirt, that accentuated her feminine figure. "Like it? Spent my last dime on the matching jacket. Too warm for it though." Faith also slid a stake into one of her boots. "Ready? Good" She flipped around and flounced out the door, without waiting for a reply.

Buffy took a deep breath and followed her out. "This is your party. Just try to keep us outta trouble," she mumbled.

_

* * *

_"So," Buffy began, as they meandered their way through the crowds along the Strip. "Where are we going?" 

"I dunno. Let's just walk til we find something fun. Too bad the Stratosphere is way down there, I'd like to try one of those rides. They look wicked cool." Faith grinned at Buffy. "Maybe tomorrow, if some of us are up to it, that is." She winked at her companion.

Buffy cocked her eyebrow at Faith and gave her a half smile. "Adrenaline junkie, huh? Isn't your sacred duty death defying enough? And what would Robin say about your behavior?" Buffy teased.

Faith's smile faded. "Robin and I aren't together anymore. He was a great guy, but you know….not meant to be." she said with a trace of wistfulness in her voice. "He taught me a lot about myself though."

Buffy broke in, "You mean like how a man actually should treat you?" Buffy wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze.

"It's cool. No need to get all mushy on me B. He was just a guy." Faith nudged her friend off of her. "He just lasted longer than most of them." They walked the rest of the block in silence, each content to dwell in their own private world.

Faith seemed to brighten up again as she looked down the Strip at all the lit up places before them. "Time to party. Let's see…..Circus Circus? Hell freakin NO. Paris? Too artsy. Caesar's Palace? Mmmm….probably too Roman for some of us." Buffy nodded her head in agreement. "Luxor holds promise. Men in loincloths?"

Buffy shook her head. "You'll find that most of these places have more scantily clad women than men." She punctuated her statement with an exaggerated sigh of disappointment.

Faith smiled slyly at her. "Scantily clad women can be okay too." She said in an effort to throw her friend off.

Buffy half raised her hand. "Hell-o! Best friend's a lesbian here. Nothing you say could possibly shock me at this point. However, you are starting to make me rethink the validity of 'women in prison' movies." Buffy said. Faith burst out laughing.

"Besides, you know Will and Xander….Hormones on parade. And when you are the only one that currently prefers the male gender…you kinda get outvoted in the hottie discussions." Buffy shuddered in remembrance of some of the conversations she'd been party to with Xander and Willow over the years.

"Xander? I thought he and lil sis-" Faith began.

"STOP! Just stop right there!" Buffy clamped her hands over her ears. "I do NOT want to hear, talk or definitely think about it. I'm happy she found someone…but Xander?"

"Hey he was a stud." Faith answering her rhetorical question. "Besides…now that he's had lotsa practice, I bet he's a demon in the sack."

"Faith," Buffy whimpered. "I'm repressing here." Buffy had an inkling of how her mom must have felt when she found out about Angel. Dawn was still young and Buffy wanted nothing but the best for her. Suddenly Faith grabbed her arm, interrupting her thoughts. "Perfect." Faith said dragging Buffy toward the doors of a casino. "The Big Apple."

* * *

Faith slid her last dollar into a slot machine. "Come on cherries." They waited for the reels to stop spinning. Buffy was starting to get a little bored, she didn't like to gamble much. When any of the gang came to town she'd go out with them of course, but like any self respecting citizen of Las Vegas, she avoided The Strip as much as possible. She smiled wistfully as she thought of how different her friends all were. Willow loved the nickel slots, safe bet, she wouldn't lose too much; Xander was a dice junkie, she had to forcibly remove him from a craps table one night; Giles lost all of his money at blackjack, a game he was positive he could beat; and Dawn, well mostly they just wandered among the slot machines, occasionally trying to win one of the many cars that seem to be up for grabs. 

"Woo Hoo!" Faith's yelp broke into Buffy's thoughts. "Beer money." Quarters clinked into the metal tray as Faith cashed out her winnings. "I'm going to take this up to the cage, then let's see if this joint's got a bar." Buffy followed her around the casino as she turned the quarters into bills and then up to the second floor nightclub.  
$$$$$


	3. Part 3

Part 3 

"Coyote Ugly?" Buffy rolled her eyes. "I saw this movie. It wasn't very good. And I don't like Jim, Jack or Johnny." She wrinkled her nose in disgust as they made their way to the front of the packed bar.

"Aha….that leaves Jose." Faith waved a bill at the bartender. "Tequila. Two!" She shouted over the pounding music, holding up two fingers.

"Faith I dunno about this." Buffy wavered. "My experiences with alcohol haven't gone all that well."

The bartender set the two shots in front of them. Faith picked one up and downed it. "You're gonna fall behind. Drink up." She commanded.

"Here goes nothing." Buffy quietly whispered before tipping the glass up. Fire burned down her throat and she sputtered, "Aren't there supposed to be lemons or limes with this drink?"

Faith signaled the bartender for more drinks. "Keep 'em coming with training wheels!" She shouted, slapping a twenty on the bar.

A pretty blonde-haired bartender set down more shots, along with a salt shaker and a dish with lemon wedges in it. "Here you go, sugar. Friend not up to the task?" She said with a saccharine sweet Southern belle drawl.

Smirking at Buffy, "Nah, she's still virgin when it comes to some things." Faith licked her hand and sprinkled some salt on it. She threw back another shot and sucked on one of the wedges. Buffy glared at Faith, while mimicking her actions. "I can hold my own." She bit down on the sour fruit, "This is better, at least the lemon kills a little of the taste." Buffy said, her mood picking up.

"Just holler if you need anything else. Name's Dallas, the perky Texas cheerleader." she winked at the girls, before rushing off to serve another patron.

"Now here's a job I could do." Faith commented watching the staff flirt with the male patrons. "I could be Faith, the Bostonian ex-con Slayer." she tossed her hair around her head and batted her eyelashes. "I feel like dancing."

She grabbed Buffy's wrist and pushed their way through the crowd to an empty spot on the floor. Faith started grooving to the electronic beat that was blaring from the speakers. Buffy marveled at the raw power Faith seemed to have over the opposite sex. She exuded pure sensuality, that seemed to roll off of her in waves and spread throughout the room. It was attracting male admirers from every corner. Playing into every man's fantasy, Buffy mimicked Faith's movements as they danced together.

The two Slayers spent nearly an hour on the dance floor, shaking and moving with the various people crowded around them. They headed back to the bar with a couple of sailors on leave escorting them. They were cute and sweet and reminded her a little of Riley. They were both from the Midwest somewhere and had joined the Navy to see the world. Buffy tried to make small talk with the boys, but was failing miserably. She just wasn't that interested in either of them.

Faith was busy putting the moves on the guy next to her at the bar. Buffy had a sneaking suspicion she wouldn't be accompanied home by her temporary roommate tonight. She downed another shot that had been placed in front of her and chased it with a big gulp of beer, just wanting to head into a cheery drunken oblivion.

Some old country tune came on the jukebox and the crowd went wild. Buffy didn't really know what was going on, but cheered along anyway. Dallas, her coworkers and several women from the crowd were all on the bar dancing an uncomplicated routine. Dallas gestured for the two girls to join them. Faith, wasting no time, vaulted onto the bar, pulling Buffy behind her. Buffy, silently thankful for her cheerleader days, had no trouble following along. She allowed the music to wash over her and guide her movements. For the first time in years, she felt uncomplicated and alive.

When the last notes filtered through the bar, Buffy felt almost disappointed. Giddy and out of breath, the two girls hopped down off the bar. "God that felt GREAT!" Faith exclaimed. Buffy had to agree. It was exhilarating putting on a show in front of the crowded bar. "Now I'm definitely horny and hungry." Faith squirmed a little, her eyes scanning the nearby crowd for a victim. Faith grabbed the guy she'd been flirting with earlier. She placed him up against the bar, ripped open his shirt and licked a path down the center of his chest. She sprinkled the salt over him and grinning wickedly, placed a lime wedge in his mouth. She slowly nibbled on the smooth skin, lapping up the salt. She downed the shot, slammed the glass on the bar and grabbed his head and sucked voraciously on the lime.

When she had finished, she pulled the stunned guy upright and shoved him back towards his friends. "Who's next?" Faith coyly asked no one in particular. After a couple of rounds of sharing body shots with several different guys, Faith turned to Buffy. "Your turn. I'll let you practice on me first," raising her eyebrows suggestively at her sister Slayer.

Buffy giddy and a little more than tipsy, agreed to participate. After innocuously licking the salt off Faith's wrist and sucking on her own lemon wedge chosen from the dish, she hesitantly agreed to let it be done to her and to let Faith do the choosing.

"Oh goody, let's see who should the lucky guy be….and what body part…" Faith perused the bar, inspecting each male within fifty feet. Keeping Buffy in suspense, Faith pondered her options. She opened her mouth, intending to make a choice, when her eyes widened just a bit. Her face showed a fleeting glimpse of shock, before changing to a wry smile. "I got just the prospect for you, B. Close your eyes."

Buffy cringed at Faith's words, knowing all it could entail. She just hoped it wasn't someone who'd make her have to pull a St. Buffy act. Opting to trust her friend's judgment, she screwed her eyes shut. Her body tensed with apprehension and some anticipation. She sensed someone stepping into her space. Her mystery date grabbed her shirt collar and slid it down over her shoulder, exposing her flesh. A tongue roughly laved at her right collarbone. Buffy's eyes flew open as her body went rigid, ready to throw off the trespasser.


End file.
